Electrical connector of the trolley tap type



Nov. 13, 1951 J.,F.CONRAD 2,574,816

ELECTRICAL. CONNECTOR OF THE TROLLEY TAP TYPE Filed May 10, 1949INVENTOR. JOHN F, GOA/PHD.

Patented Nov. 13, 1951 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR OF THE TROLLEY TAP TYPE JohnF. Conrad, Ebensburg, Pa., assignor to Deltron Electric Products, Inc.,Ebensburg, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 10, 1949,Serial No. 92,285

1 Claim.

My invention relates to electrical connectors and is herein shown anddescribed as employed in temporarily tapping trolley wires for theutilization of electrical current therefrom, for motors, weldingapparatus, etc. It will be understood that various features of thedevice render it adaptable for connection to electrical conductors otherthan trolley wires.

One object of my invention is to provide a connector of the characterreferred to which can readily and firmly be connected to a trolley wireor the like, simply through manipulation by one hand of the operator.

Another object of my invention is to provide a connector capable oftemporary use in tapping a trolley wire, which will not only permit freetraveling movement of a trolley Wheel or other current conductor whenthe connector is in place, but will also be maintained against looseningunder vibrations of the trolley wire,

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of the connectorwith the gripping elements in release position relative to a trolleywire; Fig. 2 shows the gripping jaws of the connector in operativeengagement with a trolley wire; Fig. 3 is a front view of the device ofFig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale. of one ofthe camming members of Fig. 1.

The connector is here shown as employed for tapping a trolley wire 6 toconduct current to a cable 1 that will be connected to a motor, welder,or other electrical device to which current is to be supplied.

The connector is here shown as of the well known fused type, wherein abody member or casing 8 contains a cartridge fuse and is of insulatingmaterial so that it can be utilized as a handle during manipulation ofthe connector.

A stem 9 projects forwardly from the body member and current will flowthrough this stem to the fuse Within a body member 8 and thence to theconductor 1. A clamping member II is pivotally connected to the stem 9and has a clamping jaw [2. A pair of cars I3 are formed integrally withthe member I l and serve to pivotally support a lever 14 which has agripping jaw 15 that cooperates with the jaw I2 to grip the wire 6, asshown in Fig. 2. A spring l6 yieldably holds the jaws in relativelyexpanded relation as shown in Fig. 1.

The stem 9 has a camming nose I! on its forward end, positioned forengagement with a camming member 18 on the lever M. The rounded end ofthe lever M can have direct engagement with the nose H, but in order tocompensate for wear, I prefer to make the camming element I8 as aseparate element adjustable by a set screw ill to take up Wear.

In order to make tapped engagement with a wire, the operator will holdthe connector in a plane above a trolley wire in approximately theposition shown in Fig. 1. Thereupon, he will push the jaw 12 into thegroove in the trolley wire or at least rest it on the shoulderimmediately below the groove, and rock the handle 3 and the lever Hrelative to each other, so that the camming nose I! will move upwardlyalong the camming surface l8. This will result in the lever l4 beingswung in a clockwise direction against the expansive force of the spring16 and cause the jaw E5 to enter into the other groove of the trolleywire.

The camming surfaces I1 and 18 are so arranged that during movement ofthe parts to the position shown in Fig. 2, the high point of the cam l8will move a slight distance below the high point or area on the cam llto thus give an overcenter action that will reduce danger of theclamping members becoming loosened through vibration of the wire 6 bytrolley wheels or shoes. This overcenter effect is very slight, andthere is enough inherent resiliency in the gripping action to serve thepurpose. Since the body member 8 extends substantially at right anglesto the trolley wire, from an upper plane, its weight will assist inholding the jaws in gripping engagement with the trolley wire.

I claim as my invention:

An electrical connector of the trolley tap type comprising an insulatingholder for a fuse and adapted at one end for connection to an electricalcable, a rigid conductor member extending from the other end of theholder and having a camming nose projecting forwardly therefrom, a

clamping member pivotally connected to the rigid conductor member in adependent position when the holder is horizontal and having a jaw at itslower end for abutting engagement with one side of a trolley wire or thelike, a second clamping member pivotally connected intermediate its endsto an intermediate point on the first-named clamping member and having ajaw on its lower end and positioned to cooperate with the other jaw ingripping a wire, a spring yieldably urging the jaws into relativelyexpanded position, and a camming block on the upper end of thesecondnamed clamping member and adjustable on said member relative tosaid nose, positioned to be I engaged by the said camming nose forrocking the second-named clamping member relative to the first-namedclamping member to effect movement of the jaws toward one another, whenthe 4 first-named clamping member abuts a, trolley UNITED STATES PATENTSwire and the holder is swung downwardly about Number Name Date thefirst-named pivot. 1 115 135 Wa gner Oct. 27, 1914 JOHN CONRAD 1,210,445Fear Jan. 2, 1917 5 1,553,725 Shoffner Sept. 15, 1925 1 R EN CITED-1,w1,27o Normington July 22, 1930 The following references are of recordin the 2,194,138 Crawford Mar. 9, 1940 file of this patent:

